With 2024 just a few days away, and everyone anxiously awaiting the announcement of their “New Year’s Resolutions,” we’d like to FIRST encourage you to take a moment and reflect on your accomplishments from this past year -- and count every single one of them!

For instance, maybe you:

• Started roasting vegetables multiple times every week!
• Discovered the amazing flavors and textures of a big salad every day!
• Reversed prediabetes or significantly improved your blood pressure or cholesterol levels!
• Banished processed foods from your breakfast routine (perhaps with overnight oats or enjoying a planned-over breakfast)!
• Ditched the bottle in favor of your own homemade salad dressings!
• Included a variety of colors (besides beige and brown) in your Thanksgiving meal!
• Discovered the benefits of buying food at the farmers' market and eating with the seasons!

Or, maybe you added more REAL FOOD to your routine in 2023 than you have in the previous 10 years combined?

We truly hope at least some of these (or similar accomplishments) made your 2023 reflections list.  And if not yet, what if they become your goals for 2024?!

Because each of these seemingly insignificant “EAT REAL” habits have truly life-changing effects - not just for you, but your entire family.  Kicking processed foods to the curb and embracing REAL foods rewards your entire family by reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and yes, even cancer!

So go ahead and pat yourself on the back because you are a life-saving superstar!

Why are we always encouraging you to try new ways to buy and prepare REAL foods?

Because simply taking action is truly a start to lasting health!  What brings it all home?  In one word...CONSISTENCY.  No, we are not talking about the proper texture of mashed potatoes or scrambled eggs?  We mean, making REAL FOOD a CONSISTENT part of your life.

Yes it’s true...

"Any time you see what looks like a breakthrough, it is always the end result of a series of little things, done consistently over time."

and

“Success isn’t always about ‘Greatness’, it’s about consistency.  Consistent, hard work gains success.  Greatness will come…success isn’t overnight.  It’s when everyday you get a little better than the day before.  It all adds up.”

So, you could search and search for the perfect diet or the perfect combination of foods to eat and to avoid.  Or, instead, you could just commit to focusing on eating REAL food and doing it as consistently as possible.  Remember, perfect is the enemy of good.  The key is to get started, and then make consistent good choices.

There is no substitute for consistency!

Here are a couple of spectacular life-changing stories....

A Family Affair:

We were listening to a couple who had begun eating REAL FOOD at the beginning of the year and, as a result, lost over 100 pounds between the two of them!  Saturday is their “meal planning day” and Sunday afternoon is their “date day” at the grocery store, followed by food prep when they get home.  “Our fridge looks like a Tupperware party,” they laughed.  And did they do this just a couple times last year?  No, what made the 100-pound difference was they became CONSISTENT and built this into a solid habit!  It has become second nature for them!

Veggie/Fruit of the Month:

We also heard from a young mom in Ohio who shared her story of teaching her children to like new vegetables and fruits.  Each month, as a family, they would pick a new vegetable or fruit to try 8 times within the month (that’s twice each week).  They would together search out different recipes and preparations, and each time they served it, they would all rate how much they liked it.  They picked “new to them” foods like avocados, parsnips, sweet potatoes, squash, radishes, pomegranates, mango, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, okra, cranberries and rhubarb.  “The kids totally get into it!” she said.  “One preparation method they might not like, while the next one they would totally love!”  And by having it over and over, their taste buds warmed up to it more and more.  At the end of each month, they would vote “keeper or sleeper.”  “Keeper” means mom can buy it and serve at any time and “sleeper” means “let it sleep for now…we can try again in the future.”

What a great example of how CONSISTENCY led to incorporating new vegetables and fruits into their routine…and much healthier habits after 12 months of this CONSISTENT behavior!

You don’t have to have small kids to see the brilliance in an idea like this one!  Anyone can do this, even if it is just the two of you or you are the only one at home!  And we want to help.  One of the keys to consistency is making the healthy choice the easy choice.  Unfortunately, in our culture, this is not as easy as it sounds, as we are surrounded by fast food, vending machines, concession stands, take-and-bake meals - all of which are loaded with highly-processed foods.

Starting in January, we are going to take a deeper dive into culture.  We will provide ideas on things you can do to navigate our "magically delicious, betcha can't eat just one" culture and make the healthy choice the easy - and delicious - choice.

What if you took on the word “CONSISTENCY” as your “mantra” for 2024?

We are here to help you bring REAL food to a whole new level of “CONSISTENCY” in your life, helping you achieve some truly amazing results!  We want to help you make your meals taste so good you and your family don't even realize you are eating healthy.  Because, it's absolutely true, REAL food can change your life!

If you are thinking about ideas for New Year’s resolutions, check out these coaching tips to help inspire you!

What is your One Thing?

Lasting Change is Possible with These Three Things

Taxes or Eating Healthy - Which is More Difficult?

And, for even more inspiration, if you're looking for something to watch over the holiday break, check out these documentaries:

Fed Up | Prime Video (amazon.com)

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto | Prime Video (amazon.com)

The Game Changers | Prime Video (amazon.com)

That Sugar Film | Prime Video (amazon.com)

Happy New Year!